Duncan Jones to take on 'The Deep'
Brilliant Films to produce his second directing effort
By Stuart Kemp

June 1, 2009, 10:14 AM ET
LONDON -- Duncan Jones has surfaced with his sophomore feature.

The helmer, who made his feature directorial debut with the Sam Rockwell starrer "Moon," will direct "Escape From the Deep" from an Alex Kershaw script based on the nonfiction tome of the same name.

"Escape" tells the story of a legendary World War II U.S. navy submarine that sank after a torpedo malfunction, leaving the crew stranded on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Faced with drowning, nine men made it out alive after swimming the 180 feet to the surface without getting the bends.

The movie will be produced by U.S. production banner Brilliant Films, which also is developing the project via the company's in-house development cash pool.

Brilliant Films president Joe Abrams said that Jones' "Moon" marked his arrival as a director to watch.

Jones, whose father is rock legend David Bowie and who worked with Tony Scott in his early career, described Kershaw's book as a "powerful story that will come alive on the big screen."

He said he hopes to create a "tense action movie" from the story.

Sony Pictures Classics snapped up North American rights to "Moon" after it unspooled during the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. It will debut at the Edinburgh International Film Festival later this month.